ISM Non-Manufacturing – United States

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ISM Non-Manufacturing gauge of business conditions in non-manufacturing industries, based on measures of employment trends, prices and new orders. Though non-manufacturing sectors make up the majority of the economy, the ISM Non-Manufacturing has less market impact because non-manufacturing data tends to be more cyclical and predictable. However, these sectors do account for a considerable portion of CPI. As a result, the figure gives insight into conditions which can impact output growth and inflationary pressures.

The ISM Non-Manufacturing Index is based on a sample survey of purchasing and supply executives, weighted according to industry contribution to GDP. The Index is calculated using 50% as the centerline between positive and negative expectations; the figure is reported in headlines as the percent change.

Note: There are 10 separate indexes reported, but Business Activity is considered the most important. The other nine indexes are: New Orders, Supplier Deliveries, Employment, Inventories, Prices, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, Imports, and Inventory Sentiment.

ISM Non-Manufacturing Prices

The pricing component of ISM Non-Manufacturing is isolated to form the ISM Non-Manufacturing Prices report. The figure acts as a more focused indicator of inflation; consistently high figures are a strong indicator for a general price increase in the economy.